The invention relates in general to munitions and in particular to air defense projectiles.
In warfare, emphasis may be placed on the reduction of collateral damage. Collateral damage may include damage to infrastructure and injury or death of civilians. As battles move into urban environments, so do warfighters and their bases. Also, other urban interests may come under attack, such as, for example, embassies and consulates. Urban interests may require protection from incoming threats. But, it may be desired that the protection not destroy surrounding infrastructure or harm civilians in the area.
Kinetic energy penetrators may be effective in neutralizing incoming air borne threat munitions such as rockets, artillery and mortars. These penetrators may be monolithic cylindrical objects made from high density materials that maximize penetration. However, the high ballistic coefficient of these penetrators may pose a problem in urban environments. If the penetrators miss their intended target, the penetrators may have sufficient kinetic energy to cause collateral damage when they fall to the ground. This problem may restrict the use of otherwise effective air defense systems during urban operations. One solution has been the use of self-destructing high explosive munitions, which may detonate after a preset flight time. However, these munitions may have unreliable fuzes. Unreliable fuzes may cause unexploded ordinance (UXO) hazards and a high-probability of collateral damage.
A need exists for an air defense munition, such as a kinetic energy penetrator, that may create less collateral damage than known air defense munitions.